Open Letter to Members & Employees of Alberta Seed Processors

Since the
World Health Organization has declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic, I
would like to reiterate the Provincial Association’s commitment to
supporting you and your employees through this time of uncertainty—and to share
important information with you about pandemic readiness. As members and
employees of Alberta Seed Processors, we predominately operate in rural
settings, and as such, we may believe that this will only affect “someone else.”
This attitude only undermines the drastic measures that are being undertaken on
a global basis to slow the spread of the virus.

We are all in
this together. Each of us has a role in adopting measures to protect our
employees, customers, families, friends, and neighbours. As an organization
with a strong commitment to the communities we serve, we at Alberta Seed
Processors believe in leading by example. We urge you to implement strategies
at work, home, and in your communities to help limit the spread of COVID-19 –
including support to those in need, such as individuals who may be at home
in self-isolation.

We also
encourage you as an employer to implement preventative measures to reduce the
potential spread of COVID-19 in your workplace. Please visit Alberta Health
Services at https://www.alberta.ca/coronavirus-info-for-albertans.aspx for
up-to-date guidelines and advice for employers and employees.

YOU ARE
ENCOURAGED TO CHECK RESOURCES, AND NEWS FEEDS REGULARLY FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE
INFORMATION.

The Alberta
Health website has downloadable posters
that you may want to consider printing & posting at your place of
business. Here is one example:

KEEPING SAFE:

This is a quick list; please consult
the Alberta Health website (link above) for complete details:

COVID 19 is a
serious respiratory illness that knows no borders, is highly infectious, and is
spread through person-to-person
contact by larger droplets; like from a cough or sneeze and/or touching contaminated
objects or surfaces and then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. COVID-19 is not airborne and
cannot spread through the air over long distances or times, like the measles. Studies suggest that the virus generally
only survives for a few hours on a surface, though it may be possible
for it to survive several days under ideal conditions.

BE PART OF THE SOLUTION: NOT PART OF THE PROBLEM

All Albertans are encouraged to take personal steps to help prevent the
spread.

To protect yourself and others:

Practice social
distancing- meaning maintaining at least one metre from other
individuals.

Stay home and
away from others if sick or in isolation (NOT negotiable).

Avoid
settings in which people are gathered closely, i.e. busy public or retail
spaces.

Avoid
unnecessary travel – even locally.

RESPONSIBILITY OF EMPLOYERS:

This is not a
full list, refer to the Alberta Health website for further information.

A staggering 20-30% of the population is estimated to become affected by
the virus. Do NOT assume we are immune to infection because we are generally
in rural areas. Employers and business managers should plan for the best
but prepare for the worst-case scenario.

To prepare, employers/managers are advised
to protect employees, limit spread in workplaces to customers/employees,
and ensure continuity of critical services if staff are ill or
self-isolating. Many of us have not thought about a scenario in which key
employees are out of service. Now is the time to build a contingency plan.

MANAGERS’ TRAINING EVENT– Scheduled
for June 22-23, 2020

At this point in time, with the
information available at time of writing – Mar. 18, 2020 – the event will
proceed as scheduled, EXCEPT in the instance that the province still prohibits public
gatherings.

The information on COVID-19 control
measures are rapidly changing. All we can do right now is wait and see. The
situation will continue to be monitored with appropriate decisions being made
as soon as possible. Currently, the province has not published an end date to
any of the prohibitions on pubic gatherings. A go or no-go decision will
be made no later than June 1, 2020. Thank you for your understanding and
patience.

We are co-operative in structure and by
nature. Working together and with others is what defines our success in both
good times, and in times of crisis.